Story and tone

On October 10, streaming platform Netflix released the detective thriller The Woman in Cabin 10, based on the best-selling novel of the same name by British author Ruth Ware.

CBS initially acquired the rights to adapt the novel for the screen, but they ultimately went to the almighty Netflix.

After a previous traumatic experience, journalist Laura Blacklock sets out to cover a charity trip on the yacht of Richard Bullmer and his terminally ill wife Annie.

The final stop is the picturesque but gloomy coast of Norway, where Annie intends to announce at a gala dinner that she is bequeathing her fortune to charity.

But before that happens, the luxurious ship has to sail for several days, so Lore will have to spend them in the company of obscenely rich and annoyingly arrogant guests.

However, putting up with unbearable company seems to be the easiest test, because one night the woman hears suspicious sounds indicating that someone has been thrown overboard.

Her concern is compounded by the fact that the day before, Laura met a mysterious passenger on the yacht who should not have been there.

And the icing on the cake is the complete distrust of those around her when the journalist began to sound the alarm.

Themes

Formally, the film has all the key elements of Ryan Johnson’s detective franchise. Let’s list them: a group of unpleasant fat cats — check; a main character who feels like a black sheep among them — check; a classic Agatha Christie-style murder — after all, that’s why we’re all here. 

In addition, the screen is overflowing with luxury in indecently large quantities: it seems that the authors are more concerned with the perfect smoothness of the setting than with creating tension and paranoia.

Pros

• truly thrilling moments; appealing cast; 
• incredible seascapes; 
• for some, it will pass as unpretentious, disposable entertainment;

Cons

• the story is derivative and banal (and for some, probably predictable); 
• the decent actors have absolutely nothing to work with; 
• the ending is idiotic.

Final verdict

In fact, Woman in Cabin No. 10 is a film too vulnerable to fair criticism, so much so that it is boring to talk about its secondary nature and banality.

It is not so much good or bad, but rather simply nothing, as sterile as possible with rare bursts of exciting moments.

Therefore, it leaves the viewer with complete indifference, unlike the zealous journalist regarding the incident on the ill-fated yacht.